1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to micro-miniature electronic elements and particularly to an improved design and method of manufacturing a single- or multi-connector assembly which may include internal electronic components.
2. Description of Related Technology
Existing modular jack/connector technology commonly utilizes individual discrete components such as choke coils, filters, resistors, capacitors, transformers, and LEDs disposed within the connector to provide the desired functionality. The use of the discrete components causes considerable difficulty in arranging a layout within the connector, especially when considering electrical performance criteria also required by the device. Often, one or more miniature printed circuit boards (PCBs) are used to arrange the components and provide for electrical interconnection there between. Such PCBs consume a significant amount of space in the connector, and hence must be disposed in the connector housing in an efficient fashion which does not compromise electrical performance, and which helps minimize the manufacturing cost of the connector. This is true in both single and multi-row connector configurations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,759,067 entitled xe2x80x9cShielded Connectorxe2x80x9d to Scheer (hereinafter xe2x80x9cScheerxe2x80x9d) exemplifies a common prior art approach. In this configuration, one or more PCBs are disposed within the connector housing in a vertical planar orientation such that an inner face of the PCB is directed toward an interior of the assembly and an outer face directed toward an exterior of the assembly. This is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of Scheer. The arrangement of Scheer, however, is not optimal from space usage and electrical performance standpoints, in that when the components are disposed on the PCBs on the inner face (see FIG. 6 of Scheer), they are in close proximity to the majority of run of the jack (and to some degree modular plug) conductors, thereby allowing for significant cross-talk and EMI opportunity there between.
Alternatively, if all or the preponderance of the components are disposed on the external or outward side of the vertical PCB (see, e.g., FIG. 4 of Scheer), significant space is wasted in the interior volume of the connector, thereby forcing the designer to either utilize smaller and/or fewer components in their design to fit within a prescribed housing profile, and/or utilize a larger housing or thinner walls to generate more interior volume. Stated differently, the ratio of usable volume to total volume within the connector is not optimized.
Based on the foregoing, it would be most desirable to provide an improved connector apparatus and method of manufacturing the same. Such improved apparatus would ideally be highly efficient at using the interior volume of the connector as compared to prior art solutions, mitigate cross-talk and EMI to a high degree, and allow for the use of a variety of different components (including light sources) within the connector assembly at once, thereby reducing labor cost.
In a first aspect of the invention, an improved connector assembly for use on, inter alia, a printed circuit board or other device is disclosed. The connector includes at least one substrate (e.g., circuit board) disposed in substantially vertical and orthogonal orientation to the front face of the connector. In one exemplary embodiment, the assembly comprises a connector housing having a single port pair (i.e., two modular plug recesses), a plurality of conductors disposed within the recesses for contact with the terminals of the modular plug, and at least one component substrate disposed in the rear portion of the housing, the component substrates having at least one electronic component disposed thereon and in the electrical pathway between the conductors and the corresponding circuit board leads. The substantially orthogonal orientation of the board(s) allows maximum space efficiency with minimal noise and cross-talk.
In a second exemplary embodiment, the assembly comprises a connector housing having a plurality of connector recesses arranged in port pairs, the recesses arranged in over-under and side-by-side orientation. A plurality of substrates arranged within each of the respective rear portions associated with each connector recess are also provided. The conductors associated with a first recess are disposed at their termination point on a first of the plurality of substrates, while the conductors associated with a second recess formed immediately over (or under) the first are disposed at their termination point on a second of the plurality of substrates, thereby allowing each of the respective recesses to have its own discrete substrate (optionally with electronic components thereon), and providing enhanced electrical separation, use of space within the connector, and ease of connector assembly.
In a second aspect of the invention, the connector assembly further includes a plurality of light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes, or LEDs) adapted for viewing by an operator during operation. The light sources advantageously permit the operator to determine the status of each of the individual connectors simply by viewing the front of the assembly. In one exemplary embodiment, the connector assembly comprises a single recess (port) having two LEDs disposed relative to the recess and adjacent to the modular plug latch formed therein, such that the LEDs are readily viewable from the front of the connector assembly. The LED conductors (two per LED) are mated with the substrate(s) within the rear of the housing, and ultimately to the circuit board or other external device to which the connector assembly is mounted. In another embodiment, the LED conductors comprise continuous electrodes which terminate directly to the printed circuit board/external device. A multi-port embodiment having a plurality of modular plug recesses arranged in row-and-column fashion, and a pair of LEDs per recess, is also disclosed.
In another exemplary embodiment, the light sources comprise a xe2x80x9clight pipexe2x80x9d arrangement wherein an optically conductive medium is used to transmit light of the desired wavelength(s) from a remote light source (e.g., LED) to the desired viewing location on the connector. In one variant, the light source comprises an LED which is disposed substantially on the substrate or device upon which the connector assembly is ultimately mounted, the location of the LED corresponding to a recess formed in the bottom portion of the connector, wherein the optically conductive medium receives light energy directly from the LED.
In a third aspect of the invention, an improved electronic assembly utilizing the aforementioned connector assembly is disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, the electronic assembly comprises the foregoing connector assembly which is mounted to a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate having a plurality of conductive traces formed thereon, and bonded thereto using a soldering process, thereby forming a conductive pathway from the traces through the conductors of the respective connectors of the package. In another embodiment, the connector assembly is mounted on an intermediary substrate, the latter being mounted to a PCB or other component using a reduced footprint terminal array. An external noise shield is also optionally applied to mitigate external EMI.
In a fourth aspect of the invention, an improved method of manufacturing the connector assembly of the present invention is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of forming an assembly housing having at least one modular plug receiving recess and a rear cavity disposed therein; providing a plurality of conductors comprising a first set adapted for use within the recess of the housing element so as to mate with corresponding conductors of a modular plug; providing at least one substrate having at least one electrical pathway formed thereon, and adapted for receipt within the rear cavity; terminating one end of the conductors of the set to the substrate; providing a second set of conductors adapted for termination to the substrate and to the external device (e.g., circuit board) to which the connector will be mated; terminating the second set of conductors to the substrate, thereby forming an electrical pathway from the modular plug (when inserted in the recess) through at least one of the conductors of the first set to the distal end of at least one of the conductors of the second set; and inserting the assembled first conductors, substrate, and second conductors into the cavity within the housing. In another embodiment of the method, one or more electronic components are mounted on the substrate(s), thereby providing an electrical pathway from the modular plug terminals through the electronic component(s) to the distal ends of the second terminals.